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Bajoran wormhole
The Bajoran wormhole is the only stable wormhole currently known to exist in the Milky Way Galaxy. The terminus nearest to the Federation is located in the Denorios belt in the Bajoran system, and crosses some seventy thousand light years to a point near the Idran system in the Gamma Quadrant. The wormhole is the home of extra-dimensional beings who are worshiped by the Bajorans as the Prophets, and therefore is sometimes referred to as the Celestial Temple. Kor, a Klingon, once called the wormhole the "Eye of Destiny". In the Gamma Quadrant, the wormhole is known as "the anomaly" by the Jem'Hadar. To the Skrreea, the wormhole is known as the Eye of the Universe in their mythology. History Bajoran historical records indicate that the wormhole has most likely been in existence for at least the past ten thousand years. In that period of time, nine Orbs have appeared on or near Bajor, and are revered as active links between the Bajoran people and their gods. There were several unexplained incidents that are now attributed to the wormhole, although it remained undiscovered until the 24th century. In the 22nd century at least two Bajorans encountered the wormhole: Kai Taluno, whose ship was disabled inside the Denorios belt for several days, reported that "the heavens opened up and nearly swallowed the ship."; and Akorem Laan, whose lightship was damaged in an ion storm, and drifted into the Denorios belt, where he opened the wormhole and would stay with the Prophets until 2372. In 2337, an unknown, unpiloted alien ship appeared in the Belt, with a shapeshifting being on board (later named Odo). Because the Denorios belt was generally avoided by all interplanetary traffic, the wormhole remained undiscovered until 2369, shortly after the end of the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor. When Starfleet took over operation of the station, Commander Benjamin Sisko and science officer Lieutenant Jadzia Dax investigated the many reported anomalies in the belt aboard the USS Rio Grande, and became the official discoverers of the wormhole. Shortly thereafter, space station Deep Space 9 was relocated to a position near the Bajor terminus of the wormhole. Keiko O'Brien's classroom aboard Deep Space 9 featured a wall chart with an image of the Bajoran wormhole beside other starships. She also discussed the history and scientific roots of the wormhole in her lessons. There is no full understanding of the scientific principles that allow the wormhole to remain stable. Much information, however, has been gained through observation since its discovery. Highly elevated levels of neutrinos are commonly detected prior to the appearance of the wormhole's event horizon, and as a vessel traverses the passage. It is believed that verteron nodes play a large part in keeping the wormhole stable. On one occasion, the wormhole transported a runabout and two crewmembers to a parallel universe. This was due to a plasma injector leak which caused the runabout to enter the wormhole with an only partially-collapsed warp field. The two crewmembers, Major Kira Nerys and Doctor Julian Bashir, were later able to return to their own universe by recreating the accident and returning through the wormhole. In 2371, Starfleet initiated a joint scientific project with the Bajoran and Cardassian governments to establish a trans-wormhole subspace communications relay to make it possible for ships in the Gamma Quadrant to contact home, as well as to provide early warning of any Dominion attack. The mission was complicated by a warning from Bajoran Vedek Yarka, who cited Trakor's Third Prophecy about the potential destruction of the Celestial Temple. This prophecy was unexpectedly validated soon after with the approach of a previously-unknown, long-period comet. This comet was infused with silithium, which had the potential to permanently destabilize the wormhole if it interacted with the verteron particles in the passage. Unable to alter the comet's trajectory, a shuttlepod from the USS Defiant used a deflector shield to prevent the comet's material from contaminating the wormhole. During the transit, trace amounts of silithium inadvertently leaked through the shields. However, the small amounts did not destabilize the wormhole, but instead created a subspace filament inside the wormhole that allowed normal communication between the quadrants. The wormhole had an enormous impact on interstellar politics in the Alpha Quadrant. In the first two years, many races eagerly sent explorers and freighters through the wormhole to open relations with new trading partners, and to establish new colonies. However, the wormhole also brought the powers of the Alpha Quadrant into contact with the Dominion, a powerful government that controlled a large swath of territory in the Gamma Quadrant. In 2373, when a Dominion invasion became inevitable, Starfleet ordered the entrance to the wormhole be collapsed. Doctor Lenara Kahn of the Trill Science Ministry had devised a means using a phase-conjugate graviton beam to seal the wormhole without causing damage to it or harming the Prophets. Deep Space 9 was able to rig the phase-conjugate beam by remodulating the stations deflector grid frequencies and projecting it through its graviton emitters. Unfortunately, when executed, it was discovered that the emitters were sabotaged and, as a result, the phase-conjugate graviton beam had the exact opposite effect on the wormhole by making the wormhole's spatial matrix more stable. So stable, in fact, that not even trilithium explosives could destroy it. Thus, Starfleet was unable to prevent a series of Dominion fleets from entering the Alpha Quadrant. A few months later, Starfleet was forced to blockade the wormhole with self-replicating mines in order to prevent the growing Dominion invasion of the Alpha Quadrant. Although Deep Space 9 was subsequently lost to the Dominion in an attack, the minefield was successfully planted, preventing further Dominion ships from departing it. Although the minefield was eventually destroyed during the Federation attempt to retake Deep Space 9, thanks to Sisko appealing to the Prophets themselves for aid, the Dominion fleet currently passing through the wormhole was destroyed by the Prophets, who protected the wormhole from Dominion incursion for the entire Dominion War. Later that year, Sisko was willing to let the Prophets bring about the Reckoning as they had saved the Alpha and Beta Quadrants by destroying the Dominion fleet. They were also blocking any additional enemy ships from coming through. The wormhole was apparently destroyed in late-2374, when Dukat, acting as a conduit for the exiled Pah-wraiths, attacked the Orb of Contemplation which was then housed on Deep Space 9. Following Dukat's attack, all of the Orbs went dark, and the wormhole itself disappeared. Dukat's aim was to force the Prophets out and make the wormhole passable again for Dominion reinforcements, although he did not anticipate the wormhole to collapse. The disappearance of the wormhole and the apparent loss of contact with their deities caused great consternation and fear among the Bajorans, as well as the rise of the Cult of the Pah-wraiths. The wormhole remained closed for the next three months, until Benjamin Sisko, acting as the Emissary of the Prophets, discovered the Orb of the Emissary on Tyree in early-2375. Sisko's discovery of the previously-unknown tenth Orb signaled the re-opening of the wormhole. Later that year, Dukat told Damar that he had no regrets in failing to reopen the wormhole by killing the Prophets. Category:Wormholes Category:Bajoran